Esteban Ocon has signed a three-year contract extension with Alpine racing, and he is now set to continue beyond the 2021 F1 season. The announcement comes days ahead of the Frenchman’s and the French outfit’s home race in France.
The 24-year-old joined Alpine at the start of the 2020 campaign. He had two full years in F1 under his belt. Even before that, Ocon was a well-known driver. He was a Lotus junior driver and Renault’s reserve driver in 2016.
Laurent Rossi, CEO of Alpine Cars, commented on the contract extension, saying, “We are very proud to retain Esteban as part of the Alpine family.”
“Since returning to the team in 2020, Esteban has grown in confidence and stature to deliver consistently good results and help develop the car with the team. Despite his young age, he is very experienced in Formula 1 and he’s on a positive trajectory in both his maturity and ability behind the wheel.
“He is a strong asset for us now, and also going forward as we meet the challenge of the new regulations. We have every confidence in Esteban to help drive the team and the brand to the next level and meet its long-term objectives,” he reiterated.
Talking about the scope of the extension, Rossi said, “Esteban is an asset for us beyond F1 as he is deeply involved in the Alpine global project. Thanks to his personality and values, Esteban is naturally a perfect ambassador of Alpine.
“For now, we look forward to continuing the 2021 campaign at our home Grand Prix in France and doing the best possible job at every remaining race weekend,” the Italian concluded.
Positive feeling
Ocon spoke about the extension, saying, “I’m delighted to continue with the team beyond this year and it’s a fantastic feeling to secure my future with Alpine. We’ve been progressing well together since I joined the team and I aim to continue that journey going forward. There are great challenges ahead of us, especially with the new regulations in 2022.
“I’m sure we can hit our targets by working hard together and continuing the story. I often think back to the Sakhir Grand Prix last year with the podium, and it motivates me to create more special memories like that.
“I’m really looking forward to the next chapter but, for now, we’re very much focused on this season and taking each race as it comes,” the Frenchman concluded.
Read more: “We could be challenging for sure”: Ocon outlines Alpine strategy for points finish